Social platforms can be a very powerful tool, if they can be made 'sticky'. In this world of digital promotions, it is even more difficult to engage users with the platform than inducing sign-ups, resulting in hundreds of platforms to wither every month.
In this post, I will share my thoughts on how to make any social platform, be it a networking platform, a personal blog or a corporate social account, more 'sticky' in nature.
Five ways to make a social platform 'sticky':
In this post, I will share my thoughts on how to make any social platform, be it a networking platform, a personal blog or a corporate social account, more 'sticky' in nature.
Five ways to make a social platform 'sticky':
1) Differentiation
Although it sounds the most obvious, it is also the most overlooked attribute for most platforms. The articulation of a clear differentiation for the consumers is a prerequisite for grabbing attention.
There are many ways in which a true 'differentiation' can be manifested even in the absence of a revolutionary idea. From a technology perspective, you can look for small opportunities to delight the intended customer. From a content perspective, you can provide exclusive content either in the form of original or highly curated copy to the intended customer.
There are many ways in which a true 'differentiation' can be manifested even in the absence of a revolutionary idea. From a technology perspective, you can look for small opportunities to delight the intended customer. From a content perspective, you can provide exclusive content either in the form of original or highly curated copy to the intended customer.
2) Reach
The reach of the platform also induces stickiness for a social platform. The very tenet of social is based on 'networks', which directly impact the success of a platform.
In this day and age, 'Word-of-Mouth' has been replaced by real-time 'trends'. Everyone wants to know what's trending! So its not surprising to see trending news and trending boots, with trends for everything in between. This generation wants to read what others are reading, wear what others are recommending.. more so than ever. And its obvious that you need crowd to crowd-source! This reinforces the importance of differentiation, which is a must to get the reach you need to be successful.
The reach of the platform also induces stickiness for a social platform. The very tenet of social is based on 'networks', which directly impact the success of a platform.
In this day and age, 'Word-of-Mouth' has been replaced by real-time 'trends'. Everyone wants to know what's trending! So its not surprising to see trending news and trending boots, with trends for everything in between. This generation wants to read what others are reading, wear what others are recommending.. more so than ever. And its obvious that you need crowd to crowd-source! This reinforces the importance of differentiation, which is a must to get the reach you need to be successful.
3) Engagement
Think of the platform as 'cliquey' in a layman's language! The platform should enable users to seek out like-minded individuals and facilitate interactions between them. So think of features such as creation of communities, with features around sharing of ideas, or simply content. On the other hand, it can also be a match-making sort of social platform where one party has something of value to offer to the other party. It can be a service, a recommendation, a role.. pretty much any give-and-take. Examples can range from Craigslist to Taskrabbit to LinkedIn itself.
Think of the platform as 'cliquey' in a layman's language! The platform should enable users to seek out like-minded individuals and facilitate interactions between them. So think of features such as creation of communities, with features around sharing of ideas, or simply content. On the other hand, it can also be a match-making sort of social platform where one party has something of value to offer to the other party. It can be a service, a recommendation, a role.. pretty much any give-and-take. Examples can range from Craigslist to Taskrabbit to LinkedIn itself.
4) Mindshare
This is a tough one to crack. Its definitely easier to get users to sign up than revisit. We are all guilty of it! A corollary is the download vs. use of apps on smart phones. Most users use less than 10% of total apps on their smartphones.
The only way of solving this challenge is to ensure that the other three pieces are in place. A strong 'Differentiation' + a good 'Reach' + a sound 'Engagement' strategy = 'Mindshare'. So in my mind, although this is the toughest nut to crack, this will automatically fall in line if all the pieces preceding it are in place.
The only way of solving this challenge is to ensure that the other three pieces are in place. A strong 'Differentiation' + a good 'Reach' + a sound 'Engagement' strategy = 'Mindshare'. So in my mind, although this is the toughest nut to crack, this will automatically fall in line if all the pieces preceding it are in place.
5) Status
This is not a new concept at all. The airline and the hospitality industries are most notorious for using 'status' to incentivize consumers. Of-course the 'loyalty programs' of a social platform will look very different, but the basic concept remains the same.
In the context of a social platform, simple metrics such as 'likes' on Facebook can indicate status. On the other hand, a 'Star Member' badge on CrowdTap can also translate into status. Websites like Influenster can take this concept further by choosing you for reviewing most premium samples. The possibilities are endless, from intangible to tangible statuses, and will be dictated by your intended audience. You need to understand what will translate into a sense of achievement for your intended audience.
If you have a personal blog or manage a corporate account, I hope you are able to act on these simple tactics to increase the stickiness of your platform. If you are interested in understanding 'Why a B2B company should invest in Social Media?', click here to get redirected to my previous blog.
I welcome questions, specific to your platform, around any challenge that you face during the actual implementation of any of these tactics. I will also love to hear from you if you agree or disagree with my opinion, so please leave a comment for me.
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